Brass versus steel

S

secondeagle

Inactive
I am looking into getting into BP revolvers. Had read that steel is preferable to brass because brass will "stretch" after shooting. My question is how much do you have to shoot the weapon before you see a problem? I cannot seem myself going out every day or so and blasting the targets.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
If you keep the loads light it will last for years. Load them heavy and it won't take many shots before you start seeing the cylinder ratchet imprinted into the recoil shield.
 
Keep em light

As long as you don't fill the chambers as full of T7 or BP as you can possible stuff in them, a brass framed revolver shoould last a good long time.

Light to moderate loads of BP (15-18 gr in a .36; and 18-22 grains in a .44) will not cause any problems. If you are using T7, .36 cal should be reduced to 13-16 grains and .44 cal to 16-19 grains.

If you're looking for max smoke & fire, 60 gr fffg in a walker will rock your world.
 
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secondeagle said:
My question is how much do you have to shoot the weapon before you see a problem?
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There have been some reports about brass guns no longer being functional from use but it's not like anyone was counting the number of shots, although it has been suggested in the past to do just that.
Would you like to be the first to keep a log of every load fired to see how many shots it takes for a brasser to go kaput? :D
 
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.36 Remington, 18 rounds, 25 grain loads. It's not kaput by a long shot but the damage has started.

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Hello, secondeagle. Here is something to think about before buying a brass framed revolver: NONE of the major firearm manufacturers either in U.S. or England used brass as a frame material. This material was used by the confederate arms manufacturers due to a shortage of steel, and drop forge facilities. Brass being relativly easy to cast, it was a natural substitute.
So, unless you want one for authentic C.S. reinactment..why handicap yourself with an inferior frame material?
 
secondeagle said:
Had read that steel is preferable to brass because brass will "stretch" after shooting.
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It's not only about frame stretching and the battering of the recoil shield. The arbor can loosen up on the Colts and the cylinder pin holes can enlarge and become oval on the Remington types with top straps.
 
I have a .44 Piettia Navy which has had hundreds of light loads fired through it with nosigns of wear or stretching. I keep it at 18-20 gr of Pyrodex or real BP.
So far I have no complaints.
The gun was my second purchase and back then I didn't know about the dangers of damage to a brass framed gun, so I bought it cause it was cheap and I wanted a .44 caliber.
Knowing what I do today I wouldn't buy another! The minimal cost of Steel is worth it.
JMHO
ZVP
 
Ideal Tool said: NONE of the major firearm manufacturers either in U.S. or England used brass as a frame material.
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Ah, you are forgetting Henry rifles and 1866 Winchester rifles! I think they would be considered 'major' manufacturers.
 
secondeagle said:
I am looking into getting into BP revolvers.
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I think that what Ideal Tool meant was strictly in the context of the topic about BP revolvers as stated in the original post.
 
Ideal Tool said:
Here is something to think about before buying a brass framed revolver: NONE of the major firearm manufacturers either in U.S. or England used brass as a frame material....
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Yesireebob! ;)
 
This type of thread has been done to death here. There is nothing wrong with brass frames as long as you do not try to make magnum guns out of a gun that was never a magnum when it first appeared in the 1800's. None of these guns are made to be a magnum.

If you shoot light loads and take care of the gun, it will last past your lifetime into your kids' lifetime - if they don't sell it for cash for gas or future IPods, etc... :(

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
I concure DR. Law .... I'have a Belgian 1860 from aboutm,1961 Centaure that had imprinmts onn both the Steel Shield and the Cylinder which were very noticable. So Brasss well maintaned and loaded proper wiill last also.
I'd st
ill recomomend :cool:steelframed or onne of each.... :cool:
 
Here is something to think about before buying a brass framed revolver: NONE of the major firearm manufacturers either in U.S. or England used brass as a frame material. This material was used by the confederate arms manufacturers due to a shortage of steel, and drop forge facilities.
Click to expand...

Actually brass wasn't used. Bronze with a high copper content was used, sometimes called gunmetal or red brass.
 
The pattern of the imprint

.....on a recoil shield is very interesting to me. It is incontrovertable evidence of at least some of the forces applied to a revolver both during loading and during discharge.
 
i've got a couple brass-framed pistols, one Colt style, one Remington style. No issues with either one....:D
 
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